#TBT: What I Would Say to the Me I Was Then

Not very long ago, as my daughter and I were unpacking a box of old pictures, and we came across this one.

“Is that you, Mom?”

“Yes, it is.”

“You look different. Was that long ago?”

“Not that long ago, but it does feels like it was.”

“It’s your eyes, Mom. they look different.”

“ . . . Yes, sweetheart, they do.”

At seven, she noticed that the look in my eyes was different. So much has happened since this picture. SO MUCH. I keep coming back to it since this conversation, and there are so many things I want to say to this young woman. This young woman could be anyone with big dreams and hopes. This young woman was full of life and was ready to conquer the world with no fears nor hesitations.

So many changes in my life and plenty of chances to practice surrender, to learn, to understand and to heal . . . . I have come to the conclusion that is is not so much about what life has brought me, but about the attitude I have chosen to take. It is no longer about what happened or happens, but about the way I have decided to look at what happened. It took me a few years to get here, but I am glad I found this truth.

I know one day, my daughter will be old enough to understand these words. They are for you, my princess:

✨Remember that the time is always right to do the right thing.

✨To be fearless, you will first need to have the courage to face your fears, to know them, to feel them, to embrace them, and to learn from them in order to grow beyond them.

✨It is not how much you will give, but how much love you will put into giving, that will matter and make all the difference.

✨Live intentionally; make powerful goals for yourself with a strong motive driving each one.

✨Don’t rely on someone else for your happiness and self-worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can’t love and respect yourself, no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are – completely, the good and the bad – and make changes as YOU see fit, not because you think someone else wants you to be different.

✨What you do for yourself, any gesture of kindness, any gesture of gentleness, any gesture of honesty, will affect how you experience your world. Because what you do for yourself will always affect others.

✨The thing that makes your heart beat faster, your eyes glow when you do it or talk about it — no matter what it is — do that. Do it as often as you can because that is what life is about.

✨It is about creating as many passionate, happy moments as possible. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing the things you love — not even yourself.

✨You are rare. There is something inside you that can’t be found elsewhere. Always remember that.

✨Have faith in the unfolding, have faith that miracles happen if you believe they do. So believe, always. ALWAYS. Find miracles in the small things, today and every day.